Legal Heirs - Box Set Edition: Books 5-8 (Surrendering Charlotte Chronicles) (20 page)

“I’m gonna be cool and smart and beautiful like you, Charlotte,” Matilda said, as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

“You’re already very pretty, Matilda, and it’s obvious you’re smart or you wouldn’t be planning for the future. Are you sure you want to be president, that’s a lot of responsibility? Please don’t smoke marijuana, that would definitely be bad for your brain cells and your political career,” Charlotte said, and she wondered if Matilda was just trying to sound grownup or if she should mention it to Belinda.

“I like having absolute power and I want to go into politics, so why settle for anything less than the highest office available? Most of the kids at school smoke pot and a lot of them steal their parent’s prescription meds. My dip-shit mother thinks because I board at Saint Mary’s Hall during the week that I’m immune to the whole drug thing. She has no idea, kids who have money and rich parents have no problem getting their hands on world class drugs.”

Charlotte hated to be a snitch but the girl was fifteen years old and talking casually about drug use. She was for sure going to have a talk with Belinda and her father in the morning. The part that seriously bothered her was what Matilda said about drugs being so readily available to kids with lots of money. Saint Mary’s Hall was a prestigious private school in San Antonio much like Country Day. Kids were going to come in contact with drugs and smoking and drinking no matter where they went to school Charlotte reasoned. She would see to it that Atticus and Hadley were thoroughly indoctrinated against the evils of drug and alcohol abuse, which meant she was giving up drinking from that day forward.

“So you’ll go to law school and then run for president, sounds like a plan to me. Where do you think you’ll go to college?” Charlotte asked, she picked up her cell phone and scanned the messages hoping against hope for some word from Finn.

“Well, my mom went to SMU,” Matilda said, scrolling through her own rhinestone encrusted phone, “she was into all the sorority bullshit. Oh sorry, I guess I shouldn’t cuss in front of you. Anyway, everyone on my dad’s side of the family are total Longhorn lovers, they wouldn’t dream of going anywhere but the University of Texas. They all hate Aggies and practically bleed burnt orange, if you know what I mean. I’m breaking with tradition and going to Georgetown or Stanford, that’s where you have to go to make any political connections,” she said, chipping away at her blue fingernail polish. “Are you in love with Mr. Bly?”

“No,” Charlotte said quickly and the thought that she might not be in love with him was such a strange notion that it was frightening to her. “Why would you think that? I’m married you know.”

“Yeah well, forgive me for saying it, but that man is hot. I guess Atticus is gonna look just like him when he grows up, except that he has your big blue eyes which is totally cool. I can already see that kid’s gonna be a serious chick magnet.”

“Matilda did you hear something about Mr. Bly and Atticus?”

“Not about Atti being Mr. Bly’s kid, I just figured that out on my own. I’m not stupid, it’s like the man is totally gonzo over you. I can’t wait for some guy to look at me like that someday, I know it will happen. Like I said, I like to be in control, I’m going to use men as love slaves. The men who love me will do whatever I want.”

“I’m tired, Matilda. You’d better go on to bed, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Charlotte said and she couldn’t imagine that a girl so young was already thinking about using drugs and scheming to make men her love slaves. Matilda for president, that would definitely be interesting and the girl might just make it happen someday, she was heir to billions of dollars after all.

*

“Charlotte, come home,” Bly said as soon as she answered the phone. “Bennet is dead, he was burned to death in a motel room last night.”

“You’re kidding, what happened?” Charlotte asked and she was already headed upstairs to start packing her bags.

“He was on the run and he checked into a seedy motel in South San Diego near the Mexican border. He was smoking in bed, he had robbed a drug store earlier and got away with a huge amount of pills, so he either overdosed or passed out. The mattress caught fire and burned down half the motel, thank God everyone else got out safely. I’ve sent the jet for you and the children, it will be there in a couple of hours. I’ll see you when you get here, there are some details I need to attend to with my mother and her sister.”

Charlotte packed her bags and the children’s, but Hadley was intent on staying at the ranch until her daddy came to get her.

“Hadley, it’s time for us to go home. You know your Gran Georgina is missing you terribly, she will be so sad if you don’t come home now,” Charlotte said, kneeling down and taking her daughter in her arms.

“Mommy, Belinda and Granddaddy are taking me to see the real live Peter Pan in San ‘tonio. He’s gonna fly across the stage for real and I think the crocodile is real too. Daddy would let me stay, he knows I’m gonna be a movie girl and I need to learn about plays and stuff,” Hadley said and Charlotte could tell from the look in her big blue-grey eyes that it was an argument she wasn’t going to win.

“I’ll bring her home in a few days,” Charles said, he scooped Hadley up and she held fast to his neck and gave her mother a triumphant smile. “Maybe you and Atticus should wait to go back, darlin’. Is Alex sure it’s safe, has the body… has a positive identification been made?”

“Bly wouldn’t let us come back if it wasn’t safe, Dad, there’s nothing to worry about now. Alright Hadley, you can stay a little longer, four days and that’s it. Atticus is starting his soccer camp as soon as we get home and you know your daddy wants you to play soccer too.”

“Nope, no soccer, just ballerina girl lessons,” Hadley said, then she squirmed out of her grandfather’s embrace, gave her mother a dozen kisses and ran off to see if Cuatro wanted to play like they were Peter Pan and Wendy.

“Five years old and already determined to have her way. How on earth am I going to handle that girl when she’s a teenager?” Charlotte said, and her Dad smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Darlin’ don’t do anything rash, these kids need their father and by that I mean Finn,” Charles said as he carried Charlotte’s bags downstairs and set them by the front door.

“I won’t Dad, I wish Finn would come back, we have things to talk over.”

“Alex is a good man and he told me that Atticus will inherent the Bly corporation. I like money as much as the next person, but that’s an enormous responsibility for a young man. I just hope Finn makes it home and you all work things out, Atticus needs a lot of stability in his life right now. Ah Charlotte, I don’t need to tell you any of this, you only want what’s best for those kids, that I know for sure.”

“Don’t worry Dad, I’m through thinking about what I want. My kids are all that matter.”

*

Billy Kipling and his daughter Vivi arrived on the jet to collect Charlotte and Atticus later in the evening. Atticus and Vivi played well together on the way back to San Diego. Vivi laughed and listened intently as Atticus told her about jets and battleships and everything under the sun that was of interest to a pair of seven year olds.

Bly met them at the airport and drove them to his house, Charlotte started to protest but Atticus jumped out of the car, excited by the grandeur of the mansion.

“Whoa, this is awesome! Do you live here Alex?” Atticus asked, running ahead of Bly into the enormous front hall with its wide curving stairway and walls hung with priceless art. “It looks like a museum, this painting is my favorite; it’s a Gauguin. Mom taught me all about him.”

“It’s my favorite too,” Bly said, standing beside Atticus with his hand on his shoulder. He knelt down beside him and told him about the painting, “This painting belongs to you, Atticus, I bought it for your first birthday. I’m saving it for you until you’re eighteen, then you can decide if you want to keep it or sell it. I think you should keep it because it’s very special. Would you like to see the rest of the house?”

“Yep, but first I want go upstairs and slide down the stair rail,” Atticus said and started toward the stairs.

“No, Atti. The top of the stairway is really high, you could fall and hurt yourself,” Charlotte said, and she looked to Bly to back her up.

“She’s right, it’s a long way down. Let’s do that another day, I promise when you’re a little older you can slide down all you want,” Bly said, taking his hand and leading him through the myriad rooms and out onto the terrace. The moon was full and the ocean seemed luminous as it crashed against the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. The air was warm and the sound of the waves was like a lullaby. Atticus broke free from Bly’s grasp and ran to edge of the cliff and leaned over to look down.

Charlotte gasped and Bly was next to him quickly, pulling him back. “That cliff is awfully steep Atticus and we don’t want to make your mother nervous, so why don’t we go back inside. You can come back out in the morning and have a look, you can see for miles across the Pacific from here.”

“Are we sleeping here tonight?” Atticus asked looking up at Bly and then at Charlotte.

“You can stay here as long as you want, this is your house.” Bly knelt down and hugged Atticus to him, then he brushed the lock of hair away from his forehead and studied the beautiful little face, “everything else I have is yours as well Atticus, even my jet.”

“Let’s go Atticus,” Charlotte said, taking his hand. This was not how she wanted Atticus to find out that Bly was his father. Finn needed to be a part of it and it made her furious that Bly thought he could just buy her son’s affection. “Can Billy drive us home or should I call a cab? I don’t want to argue about this Bly, I want to go home to my own bed tonight, we can talk tomorrow.”

Bly was ready to go to war with her, having his son in the house had set a fire in his heart. He loved Charlotte and she would have to leave Finn and marry him if she wanted to be a part of raising Atticus. He hated to have to give her an ultimatum, but he had the power to get full custody and he was prepared to do it. “Please stay here tonight, Charlotte, it would mean the world to me to have you both under my roof safe with me.”

“I can’t Bly, Atticus starts soccer camp tomorrow; he needs to get a good night’s sleep.”

“Alex will you come watch me play soccer tomorrow?  You won’t believe how fast I am when I have the ball.” Atticus said, looking up at Bly hopefully.

“I wouldn’t miss it, buddy, and Billy and Vivi can come too.”

“I want to see you play soccer, Atticus,” Vivi said, and smiled shyly as she looked at him with love-struck eyes.

“The soccer fields are at Balboa Park,” Charlotte said before she and Atticus got in the car and Billy drove them home.

*

Charlotte stood on the sidelines of the soccer field watching Atticus play. He managed to steal the ball and he ran for yards down the field and scored. He pumped his little fist in the air and shouted, “Did ya see that Mom?”

“I saw it Atticus, you are the man!” Charlotte shouted and jumped up and down smiling at her boy.

“The kid definitely has skills,” Bly said as he joined her, Billy Kipling was with him and Vivi.

“Hey, when did you get here? Isn’t he great? The next David Beckham for sure! Hi Billy, Vivi I’m so glad you came to watch Atticus play, he’ll be glad too,” Charlotte said, grinning ear to ear.

“Let’s go Atticus,” Bly yelled, then he pushed the hair off his forehead and his heart pounded as he watched his son move aggressively up and down the field, stealing the ball and passing to his teammates. “Charlotte, West and my mother are having some marital problems. I’m flying to Paris tonight to pick up the twins and you and Atticus need to come with me. Wait Charlotte, please just listen. There’s been a development, the body at the hotel wasn’t Bennet; the dental records don’t match. Bennet is insane and he has a grudge to settle against you and me, don’t fight me on this Charlotte. There’s Atticus to think about as well.”

So it begins
, Charlotte thought, her son was a target now. Not just a random target for the crazies in the world that Finn fought against, but for those who had scores to settle or were jealous and envious and wanted a piece of Alexander Bly’s fortune.

Atticus ran to the sidelines and stopped in front of Vivi, he pushed back the sweaty hair that fell across his forehead and Bly smiled. It was a gesture he was all too familiar with.

“Did you see me score, Vivi? I made more goals than anyone today. I’ll get my backpack and then what I really want is an
In-and-Out Burger
, okay Mom?” Atticus asked, and then he ran to the far end of the field and was lost among his teammates.

“
In and Out Burger
it is, how does that sound Vivi?” Bly asked and from the look on her face it was clear that she would go anywhere as long as Atticus was there.

Bly, Charlotte and Billy, smiled at her obvious infatuation and Vivi pointed to a man getting into a car with Atticus. “Does Atticus know that man?” she asked.

Bly and Billy began running fast and Charlotte screamed, “Atticus!” and ran after them. “Stay there Vivi,” she shouted over her shoulder. “Someone call 911, that man has my son!” Charlotte yelled to the coaches and onlookers as she ran.

The car started to drive away and shots rang out, flattening its tires and causing steam to rise from the engine.